Fleas on a cat

Not a single cat is immune from the appearance of fleas, even one that has never been outside the apartment. Fleas not only cause pain to pets, but can also infect them with serious diseases. Fortunately, fleas in a cat are not forever, there are effective ways to get rid of parasites with the help of industrial preparations, as well as remove fleas with home remedies. Home remedies are not very fast acting, but they are non-toxic and suitable for almost all animals, from pregnant cats to small kittens.

What does a flea look like

If you look at a flea under a microscope, then this blood-sucking insect looks like a scary monster. To a flat body with a length of 1,5 to 4 mm (1) are attached paws, covered with spikes for easy movement through the coat. The hind legs are especially powerful – after all, this helps the flea jump as much as half a meter in length (this is like a person jumping 200 m). On a small head, a flea has an oral cavity that is able to bite through the rather tough hair of an animal. A real monster, you say. And you will be right.

Although, due to the small size of the flea, it seems to be invisible and harmless insects, in fact, this small midge is about 3 millimeters in length, but it is capable of bringing truly hellish torment to its owner. So if you notice in the fur of your cat or cat small brown insects with a flat body, gathering in groups near the ears (the skin is softer there), then this is undoubtedly they are – fleas.

Where do fleas come from in cats?

As it turns out, it’s just a myth that a domestic cat that doesn’t leave the apartment and walk with street cats can’t get fleas. These parasites, in search of a prey, are quite capable of moving a long distance on their own, even feeding on raids, without using an animal. Therefore, it can be difficult for owners to detect if a cat has fleas.

The main causes of fleas in cats:

• from another infected animal;
• from you, you could bring a flea from the street on your own clothes;
• from a neighbor’s apartment or basement, if you live in an old house or the neighbors do not process their animals;
• from your dog (yes, fleas are transmitted from dogs to cats too) who picked up a flea on the street.

– Fleas in animals is a very hot topic, since most dermatological patients suffer precisely because of this problem. In veterinary medicine, there is such a disease as atopic flea dermatitis – an allergy to flea saliva (2). It occurs in many patients and is manifested by dermatitis, itching. This is also a problem because many owners believe that their apartment or their animal cannot have fleas. Unfortunately, we do not live in sterile conditions and in residential buildings, especially if they are not new, fleas can live in basements, be in baseboards, or simply get from the entrance to the apartment. Both a walking animal and an absolutely pet can become infected, – says veterinarian Marina Mikheenko.

Symptoms of fleas in cats

You can notice that your cat has fleas by the symptoms:

• the cat began to scratch often and for a long time;
• small wounds covered with a crust appeared on the skin of the cat;
• the cat began to sleep restlessly: what is nicknamed to scratch, bounces in a dream;
• the cat’s appetite has decreased;
• examining the wool, you can see black dots – flea excrement, and you can also see the insects themselves, which quickly move inside the hairs.

Once on the cat’s fur, fleas bite through its skin to feed on blood. This causes pain to the animal, flea bites itch, so the cat can not only scratch them strongly, but also introduce an infection, turning the wounds into purulent abscesses. But the worst thing is that fleas are carriers of dangerous infections that can be fatal for cats. And the sooner you find fleas in a cat, the easier it will be to remove these dangerous parasites. By the way, although fleas do not live on people, they can bite them, so the owners are also at risk.

How to remove fleas from a cat

There are insecticides to fight fleas. – drugs prepared on the basis of substances that destroy parasites. They are produced industrially and are available in various forms: in the form of drops on the withers, sprays for wool, collars, shampoos. Their common feature – they are quite toxic not only for fleas, but also for the cats themselves, therefore, such drugs are not recommended for pregnant, lactating cats, kittens up to three months old, elderly and sick animals, as well as cats prone to allergic reactions.

How to remove fleas from cats at home

Now there are a lot of medicines on sale to cope with fleas in a cat. Some pet owners prefer folk remedies such as rosemary decoction and wormwood soap. The effectiveness of such funds has not been proven. But there are proven medicated sprays, shampoos, pills, and even flea collars on the market that will help your pet live a comfortable and healthy life. Let’s take a closer look at which tool is right for you.

Flea collars for cats

This is one of the most popular remedies for fleas among cat owners, deep inner instincts and a craving for amulets probably work, that if you hang a collar with a bell on your cat, the flea will immediately understand that this animal is under the protection of higher powers and will not bite it in any way. case is not allowed.

Joke, of course. No, there is still some benefit from flea collars treated with special means. This benefit is preventive, since the smell of the drug really repels fleas. But this tool also has undeniable disadvantages:

• some of them are very toxic, so it is imperative to use only collars with special markings for cats;
• the impact zone of the collar is located next to the head and ears of the cat, but who will protect the cat’s backside, because it is on the cat’s soft spot that fleas can have fun and overeat with impunity;
• the duration of the collar is on average about a month, so this is quite an expensive pleasure, and if you don’t change it in time, it’s just a useless decoration for your pet.

– Many use anti-flea collars, but if they work and fleas are still observed (and also cause a local allergic reaction), the use of drops on the withers is recommended. – advises veterinarian Marina Mikheenko.

Flea shampoos for cats

Flea shampoos are a fairly popular remedy for fighting parasites. It is important to consider two things here. So that the shampoo is from a trusted manufacturer and specifically for cats. And so that the flea infestation does not reach a strong, critical stage (for those who still do not understand what this stage is, this is when you push the wool apart, and there the seedlings of small brown insects do not even try to hide from your gaze).

In general, the use of shampoo is quite safe and effective, just remember to thoroughly rinse the animal’s coat several times with running water so that there is no shampoo left at all.

Shampoos can be used for bathing small kittens (there are special markings).

Flea sprays for cats

Sprays and aerosols are some of the most effective and yet toxic flea treatments. You can spray them only in a ventilated room or on the street, since in a closed room there is a chance that not only the cat, but also the owner will inhale poisonous spray to the point of foolishness.

Fleas really die from the spray a few hours after application, but only if you do not have a fluffy cat, but with ordinary hair. With fluffy cats, spraying may not work, as the spray simply does not penetrate deep into the coat, to the very fleas.

And yes, you will have to put a high neck collar on the cat during the treatment and drying of the spray to prevent the medicated spray from licking off the coat. When you process the neck and ears, be sure to cover the animal’s nose and eyes.

Flea drops for cats

Flea drops are one of the most popular and common remedies. They work on both long-haired and short-haired animals. When choosing drops, the main thing is to choose the most suitable and least toxic ones and not to take drops from unknown manufacturers. Drops have only one danger: you apply them on the withers, deep into the animal’s fur, so that he himself cannot lick off the poisonous agent. But if the animal is not one? What is the guarantee that your cats will not lick each other after applying the drops and will not get poisoned? If you have several animals and you are a fan of this method of anti-flea prevention, you should separate the animals for the treatment and drying time of the drug.

For cats, drops such as Stronghold based on selemectin, Broadline spot based on fipronil, eprinomectin and praziquantel (for helminthic invasion), Lawyer based on imidacloprid and moxidectin, Inspector based on fosprenil and moxidectin, Advanced (not to be confused with advantix for dogs), Frontline Combo, Rolf, Vectra.

Permethrin-based drug Bars is also used for cats and dogs (according to experience, it often does not work or works worse than imported products).

– When processing drops, you need to try so that the product does not get into your hands, – warns veterinarian Marina Mikheenko.

Flea tablets for cats

Flea pills are the most innovative flea suppressant on the market. The effectiveness of the tool is quite high, and the principle of operation is simple. The medicine from the pill enters the blood of the animal, it is relatively harmless for the cat, but deadly for the flea, the animal drinks the blood with the medicine and immediately dies.

Also, new tablets with lufenon have now been invented, which destroy chitin, an important element in the development of flea eggs, and it is harmless to animals and humans.

Tablets can be used simultaneously with anthelmintics, but it is better a little in advance so that fleas, carriers of worms, have time to leave the beautiful woolen world of your Murzik and prevent re-infection.

Flea medications for cats

There are also drugs for removing fleas in cats – injection solutions that, once in the blood, make it deadly for parasites.

“Only a veterinarian can prescribe these drugs, and injections are made only in a veterinary clinic,” explains veterinarian Lyubov Bogdan. – After all, it is necessary not only to choose the right medicine, but also to accurately calculate its dosage, so I do not recommend using this medicine on your own at home.

Flea keychain for cats

The flea keychain is the safest pet product yet highly effective in killing fleas in cats. A small round ball can be eaten on a cat’s collar or put in her house to rid the animal of parasites. By emitting ultrasound, the keychain scares away fleas within a radius of 1 m without harming the cat itself. The battery life is 10 months. The only drawback of the flea keychain is the high cost.

“Before deciding how to get fleas out of a cat, what method and drug to use, you need to correctly assess the health of the animal,” advises veterinarian Lyubov Bogdan. – Some substances that are part of sprays, drops, flea shampoos can harm the animal, especially if your cat is in a long pregnancy or the cat is a nursing mother. It is not recommended to use insecticides to eliminate fleas in kittens under 3 months of age. Caution should be exercised in the use of flea products to eliminate parasites in very elderly animals. And, if your cat suffers from tumors, he has skin diseases, serious chronic diseases, then it is better to contact a veterinary clinic with such an animal. Based on the state of health of the cat, the doctor will prescribe a suitable therapy that will save the animal from fleas and will not harm his health.

Folk remedies for fleas for cats

Many owners prefer to wash fleas from a cat the old fashioned way. For this, wormwood soap, a decoction of rosemary and wormwood are used. Although these remedies are not truly effective, they at least do not cause severe harm to the animal’s body.

Tar soap is one of the old folk remedies for fleas, but only if it is made from pure tar, and is not tar only in name. But you must be sure that you thoroughly washed the animal’s hair, otherwise the cat will lick the remains of soap and trouble cannot be avoided. Will it get fleas out? Is not a fact.

Never use kerosene! In the old days, lice were poisoned with kerosene, and many still remember this old-fashioned way. Remember – for an animal it is fatal!

Also, in no case should medicine and lice sprays be used on an animal. Not only are they useless against fleas, they are also toxic and can cause fatal poisoning.

Salt baths. Bathing in salt water is a fairly gentle way to remove fleas from cats, so it is most often used to treat kittens, pregnant and lactating cats.

Dissolve 1 g of table salt in 100 liter of warm water. A cat is placed in a salt bath – the head of the animal is on the surface – and kept for 10 – 15 minutes. Then the coat is thoroughly washed with baby soap, washed well, dried and combed out dead parasites.

After 4 – 5 days, the treatment of the cat with saline must be repeated. And so on until the complete removal of fleas.

Tar soap. Another home remedy for flea in cats that cannot tolerate industrial drugs is for flea in kittens and pregnant cats. It is best to purchase liquid tar soap, but if there is only a hard bar, you need to lather it well to get a lot of thick foam. Foam should be generously applied to the cat’s coat and set for 10 – 20 minutes. To prevent the animal from freezing, it is better to wrap it in a terry towel. When you unroll the towel, the surviving fleas will start to scatter, so it’s best to keep the animal over a tub or large basin. Then you need to thoroughly wash off the soap, rinse the coat well, dry it and comb it out thoroughly, ridding the cat of dead fleas, their larvae and eggs.

After a week, you can repeat the procedure.

Essential oils. With their pungent odor, essential oils can expel fleas from a cat’s hair, but you need to remember that these oils are not effective against flea larvae and eggs, which will have to be carefully combed out. It is best to use essential oils of cedar, pine, anise, wormwood, eucalyptus and lavender in the fight against fleas in cats. This procedure is suitable for all cats, including pregnant women and kittens, an allergy to the essential oil may be a contraindication. A few drops of oil are diluted in a glass of water, thoroughly stirred and soaked with it all over the cat’s coat. Enough 3 – 4 drops for one application. The essential oil works as long as its aromatic components remain in the air, so the cat’s coat will have to be processed more than once. And in parallel comb out personally fleas and their eggs.

Decoction of wormwood. Also a fairly effective home remedy for removing fleas, especially in kittens. The strong smell of wormwood makes fleas evacuate from the cat’s fur, but the tincture does not destroy their larvae and eggs. To prepare the tincture, 5 tbsp. tablespoons of dry or fresh wormwood leaves pour 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then cover with a lid and let cool. Soak the cat’s hair with a strained broth and wrap it in a towel for 20 minutes. You need to be prepared for the fact that fleas will begin to actively leave the animal’s coat, so it is better to keep it over the bath.

Wormwood does not kill fleas, but only repels them, so the procedure must be repeated several times, and their larvae and eggs should be carefully combed out.

Decoction of geranium. A decoction of geranium works on the same principle as a decoction of wormwood or essential oils – a pungent smell repels fleas. This decoction is safe for all cats, lactating and pregnant, as well as for kittens. To prepare a decoction, 20 g of geranium leaves are poured into 1 glass of water and boiled for 20 minutes over low heat. Then cover with a lid and let cool. The cat’s hair is treated with a filtered liquid and wrapped in a towel for 20 minutes. After unrolling, the fleas will start to scatter, so it’s best to keep the cat over the tub. The cat’s coat is carefully combed out, removing flea larvae and their eggs.

The procedure is repeated several times in 5-7 days.

Homemade flea shampoo. Shampoo for washing cats, which are contraindicated in industrial insecticides, can be prepared at home. To do this, liquid tar soap is mixed with a decoction of wormwood, chopped onion and egg yolk. The resulting slurry is applied to the cat’s wet fur, carefully rubbing into the skin. The animal is wrapped in a terry towel for 20 minutes, and then the coat is thoroughly washed with tar or baby soap, dried and combed, removing flea larvae and eggs.

The procedure is repeated several times with an interval of 5-7 days.

Prevention of fleas in a cat

Prevention in matters of fleas in cats is quite simple. It is necessary to follow the basic rules of hygiene in the house and in the animal, namely:

• carry out anti-flea treatment of the animal in accordance with the cycle of the drug used (some drops are applied once every 1 months, and some once every six months);
• carry out unsanitary treatment of the apartment from parasites (bugs and fleas);
• bring the animal to the clinic for a physical examination at least once a year so that the doctor can detect the presence of fleas in time by passing a simple test (more on that below);
• do not let the animal out on its own (not only fleas are dangerous, but also stray dogs and cats themselves).

If your pet is suspected of having a flea infestation, the doctor may suggest a test with tape or wet paper, when a large number of black “dots” – “flea feces” are released from the wool, this is done when the fleas themselves are not visible on the body (they can run, bite, but not live on an animal).

If fleas do not cause concern, then for the purpose of prevention, monthly drops are used at the withers. Please note that they should be selected taking into account the weight of your pet. Such preparations are applied to the neck area, pushing the hair apart, squeezing out the entire pipette, it is not allowed to bathe the animal for several days after treatment.

With a strong flea infestation, flea atopic dermatitis, it is recommended not only to treat pets with local remedies, but also to treat an apartment, beds, porch, basements.

For the treatment of premises, there are products based on permethrin, for example: Cypermethrin, Parastop, Neostomazan, Butox can also be used.

– Processing of the premises should be done without cats: they processed and closed the room for several hours. I recommend that you carefully read the instructions for all drugs. Upholstered furniture can be treated with FLI spray. And be sure to vacuum more often. It is better to replace the beds with new ones, – recommends veterinarian Marina Mikheenko.

Vaccination. For cats that have access to the outdoors, flea vaccination is a very effective way to prevent infection. It is enough to vaccinate once a year, in spring or summer, so that you do not worry about the health of your pet all year. Preventive vaccinations are done in veterinary clinics, you first need to discuss with the doctor the state of health of the cat, check it for a possible pregnancy, and clarify at what age kittens are vaccinated.

Collar. A collar soaked in herbal infusions or essential oils is a great way to prevent cats from fleas, especially animals that spend little time outside. The pungent smell repels parasites, and the vegetable composition of the impregnation is not toxic to kittens, nursing mothers and pregnant cats.

Combined protection. If a cat walks on the street often, then combined protection will help her not to get fleas – a collar soaked in herbal preparations, herbal drops on the withers and an anti-flea spray based on herbal ingredients. The complex of drugs will surely scare away parasites, and the herbal composition is suitable for almost all animals: kittens, the elderly, pregnant and lactating.

Popular questions and answers

We discussed the most pressing questions that cat owners ask about fleas with veterinarians.

Sources of

1. Lyutikova I.A., Arkhipov I.A. Guidelines for the treatment and prevention of ctenocephalidosis in dogs and cats // Journal of Parasitology, 2008 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/metodicheskie-rekomendatsii-po-terapii-i-profilaktike-ktenotsefalidoza-sobak-i-koshek
2. Glazunova L.A., Tkacheva Yu.A. Comparative efficacy of drugs for flea infestation of dogs and cats // Veterinary doctor, 2017 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/sravnitelnaya-effektivnost-preparatov-pri-bloshinoy-invazii-sobak-i-koshek